The festivities surrounding the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama are sure to be fun, but if you're staying in a Gulf Shores rental and don't feel like leaving the beach, you can have just as much fun. Follow these steps to throw a beach-side tailgate party.

Throw your own tailgate party for the Senior Bowl in Gulf Shores

Americans are coming from all over the country to visit Mobile, Alabama, this month, to watch the best collegiate football players from the North and South face off in the annual Senior Bowl. Even if you're not attending the actual game at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, it's a festive time to vacation in Southern Alabama - especially if you're looking to escape the northern cold with Gulf Shores vacation packages.

Ladd-Peebles will have some great opportunities to tailgate the game, but if you've got Gulf Shores beach house rentals and you don't feel like leaving the beach or facing the crowds of Mobile, there are plenty of ways you can celebrate the football fun in your own backyard.

Get the best seafood

One of the best parts of tailgating in Southern Alabama is the food that's on the grill. Consider replacing traditional sausages, burgers and hotdogs with shrimp, fish and oysters, served up Cajun style with gumbo and other Gulf coast fare. If you're staying in a Gulf Shores rental, there are plenty of seafood markets within driving distance that will pack up the best of the best for you to cook up at home. Head to Blalock Seafood & Specialty Market or Gulf Shores Seafood, both located in Gulf Shores.

Decorate for the occasion

The smell of shrimp and other Gulf shore delicacies cooking on the grill are sure to get you in the mood for the game, but decorations can go a long way, too. Decorate your living room, deck or patio with crepe paper in the colors of the team you're rooting for. You could even represent the home college or university of your favorite player. Other football-related decorations will also amp up the game spirit at the beach.

Bring on the festivities

Invite friends and neighbors over for your beach-side "tailgate" event. Now's the time to root for your favorite team and the players you think will make it to the NFL after the game. You can even promise your guests a homemade bushwacker if their team wins.